Shades of Aguero: Man City could land dream Alvarez replacement

Manchester City have made a dream start to their 2024/25 campaign, having won their opening three competitive fixtures. They have so far played in the Community Shield and Premier League, and find themselves three wins from three in a season where they will be hoping to reclaim their treble from 2023/24, of which they now only have the English top flight to their name.

Their first outing of the new campaign saw the Cityzens get a 1-1 draw and then a penalty victory over Manchester United at Wembley. It was a game in which Bernardo Silva bailed them out with a late equaliser after Alejandro Garnacho gave the Red Devils the lead before City went on to win on penalties.

Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring for Manchester City.

In the first Premier League game of the season for the team in sky blue, it was a routine 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic against his former club ensured the Cityzens left west London with all three points, before the towering Norwegian bagged a treble in the 4-1 thumping of Ipswich Town.

Perhaps surprisingly, it has not been a very busy summer transfer window yet at the Etihad Stadium, although they have had one major outgoing in particular, and they might not be done yet when it comes to making new signings, either.

Man City’s major outgoing so far

The major outgoing for Pep Guardiola’s side this summer has been the sale of Julian Alvarez. The 24-year-old, who was seen as a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero when he signed for the club, left to join Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

julian-alvarez-manchester-city-tottenham-hotspur-academy-postecoglou-mikey-moore

According to reports, the deal City got for selling the World Cup winner with Argentina saw remarkable profit. They sold him for an initial fee of £64m, with add-ons which could total up to a potential £17.1m more, making the deal worth a total of £81.5m.

Although he was only at the club for two seasons, the former River striker won some of the biggest trophies in world football, including the Premier League twice and the Champions League, and was a key part of the treble-winning squad in 2023/24.

In total, he played 103 games for the Cityzens, scoring 36 times and registering 18 assists, and showed real versatility, often being the player Guardiola would turn to if he needed someone to slot into an unfamiliar attacking position.

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Centre-forward

49

19

6

Second striker

22

8

6

Attacking midfielder

16

6

5

Right-winger

4

3

1

Left-winger

1

0

0

Left midfielder

1

0

0

He struggled to lock down a place at centre-forward, due to Erling Haaland making that position his own over the two years he has been at the club, hence his decision to leave the club for pastures anew in the 2024/25 campaign.

Man City's replacement for Alvarez

According to a report from the Athletic earlier this week, the Cityzens might have already found their replacement for Alvarez. The Premier League champions are thought to be ‘weighing up a move’ for Celtic and Japan international striker Kyogo Furuhashi, who is valued at £20m by the Scottish giants.

Kyogo Furuhashi

He has a superb record for Celtic, after being brought to the club by then-manager Ange Postecoglou. In 135 games for the Bhoys, the Japan international has scored 73 goals and registered 16 assists in just 135 games.

There are certainly similarities between Furuhashi and City legend Aguero. Like the Argentine, he is a small striker, standing at 5 foot 5 with Aguero slightly taller at 5 foot 6. However, he also possesses elite movement, especially in the penalty box, which former manager Postecoglou called “the best I’ve ever seen”.

The former City striker was described as “an excellent penalty box striker” by one Spanish news outlet when he joined Barcelona in 2021, further showing the similarities between the two strikers, and reinforcing the fact he could be the Argentine’s heir.

Aguero himself was spellbinding for the Cityzens, and his record speaks volumes. Aside from all of the goals he scored, the former City number ten helped the club to five Premier League titles and won the Golden Boot once.

Spurs boss Posteocglou was clearly a big fan of the Japanese striker whilst he managed him at Celtic Park. The Australian described him as “outstanding”, and his record and general centre-forward play in the penalty box certainly shows why he was described in such a way by the former Celtic manager.

It may well seem like a surprise move from the Cityzens, but Guardiola loved Aguero before his departure from the Etihad Stadium, claiming that the club “cannot replace him”.

However, he may have found a striker to do just that, adding a very similar profile to his squad once more. For just £20m, this seems like it could be yet another masterstroke from Guardiola and City.

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Pakistan Under-19's tour of Bangladesh called off due to Covid-19 surge

“Both cricket boards will now look for a new window for the tour when the situation improves” – PCB

Mohammad Isam10-Apr-2021Pakistan Under-19 team’s tour of Bangladesh has been called off due to a surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, the PCB has confirmed.Bangladesh recorded 6854 cases of the virus on Friday, including 74 deaths. Following the spike in infections, the government had announced a strict week-long lockdown starting from April 14.”After the Bangladesh government announced a nationwide lockdown at the beginning of the month, the departure of the team was rescheduled for Saturday April 17,” the PCB said in a statement. “However, since the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh has not improved, the lockdown has been further extended by the Bangladesh Government, causing an indefinite postponement of Pakistan U19’s tour.”Both cricket boards will now look for a new window for the tour when the situation improves in Bangladesh, details of which will be shared in due course.”The tour was initially delayed by four days but now the PCB has said that they will look at another window.The teams were scheduled to play a four-day match as well as five youth ODIs, which would have been the first Under-19 international series since the 2020 World Cup. Bangladesh, the defending champions, have now missed two Under-19 series, against Afghanistan and Pakistan.Bangladesh’s first-class competition has already been postponed after two rounds, and the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League, originally set to resume from May 6, is looking unlikely with an extended lockdown looming in the country.

Two remaining men's World Cup Challenge League A series rescheduled

The series form the pathway to qualify for the World Cup 2023 in India

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2021

Canada are currently on top in the men’s World Cup Challenge League A table•Peter Della Penna

The remaining two series of the men’s World Cup Challenge League A, which forms the pathway to qualify for the World Cup 2023 in India, have been rescheduled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.There were 30 List A matches to be played in these two final series of the Challenge League A. Canada, Denmark, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore and Vanuatu were due to play the second series in Canada between August 15 and 28 this year, whereas the third series was slated to be held in Malaysia in 2022. The series in Malaysia has been brought forward to November-December this year and the series in Canada has been deferred to July-August next year.According to an ICC release, the decision to reschedule both series was taken due to ongoing restrictions and suspension of sporting activities as part of the ICC’s comprehensive contingency planning of Covid-19, following consultation with members, relevant government and public health authorities.”We have been actively working on contingency planning with participating members across all ICC World Cup pathways and as a result have rescheduled two more events,” Chris Tetley, ICC head of events, said. “Our collective aim is to give all ICC pathway events the best possible chance of being played and for qualification to be determined on the field of play.”We will continue to monitor and assess all events across our pathway structures with the ICC’s priority continuing to be to protect the well-being of players, coaches, officials and fans.”Canada are leading Singapore in the standings on net run rate with both teams on eight points. The top team will secure one of the six places in the men’s World Cup Qualifier playoff to be held in 2023, alongside the table topper in Challenge League B and the bottom four teams in the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.

Imagine him & Solomon: Leeds plot move for "terrific" ace who’s like Rutter

After a slow start to the season saw two draws picked up against Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion, alongside a humbling 3-0 defeat in the EFL Cup to Middlesbrough, Leeds United finally got their 24/25 campaign underway with a 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday last time out.

The Championship promotion hopefuls will pray there are no more major missteps ahead, as they aim to finish near the top of the division, and secure a return to the Premier League after last season's agonising near miss.

Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon are likely to be at Daniel Farke's disposal for upcoming second tier games, as Ramazani sat out the victory at Hillsborough and Solomon is soon to be announced, with a growing possibility that another attacker could also enter the building alongside the new duo before the close of the month.

Leeds working on signing Georginio Rutter replacement

As per an exclusive report from Football Insider, Leeds are eyeing up the services of Queens Park Rangers gem Ilias Chair, as they go about further strengthening their attacking positions.

With Solomon and Ramazani adequately bolstering the second tier side down the wings, the number ten spot is now a position of priority to add numbers to, considering Georginio Rutter's departure is yet to be addressed with any new faces in through the door.

QPR forward Ilias Chair.

That's where Chair could potentially come to the rescue, with Football Insider revealing that the West Yorkshire side are set to test QPR's resolve surrounding their Moroccan gem, with his contract now into its final year at Loftus Road.

Chair could fill the hole left behind by the Frenchman packing his bags for Brighton and Hove Albion, as he is known in Hoops quarters to be a tricky menace on the ball for Championship defences to contain, much like Rutter used to be for the Whites.

What Chair can offer Leeds

Leeds fans will be all too aware of Chair's ability to conjure up a moment of magic from nothing, having scored this sublime solo strike last season against Farke's downtrodden troops, on the way to a miserable 4-0 defeat being inflicted on the promotion chasers.

Away from that sickening sucker punch, however, Chair could soon be scoring sumptuous goals like this on a regular basis for Leeds if he is snapped up soon, with the Hoops number ten bagging 34 strikes across 217 second tier games to date in West London, alongside registering 34 assists.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Chair

Games played

44

Goals scored

7

Assists

8

Shots*

2.6

Big chances missed

2

Big chances created

11

Ball recoveries*

5.4

Total duels won*

4.0

Stats by Sofascore

As can be seen, looking at the table above, the QPR star was a lively attacker for many a Championship defence to contain last campaign, with seven goals and eight assists managed from 44 games.

Creating 11 big chances across the full season too, with Rutter creating double that remarkably, the "terrific" attacking midfielder – as he has been described by his boss Marti Cifuentes – could come into his own even more playing for a team fighting for promotion up near the top of the division, as opposed to ensuring they remain afloat in the league.

Chair could end up striking up a terrifying partnership with Manor Solomon in attack, therefore, who will be excited at the potential prospect of linking up with the EFL wizard.

Solomon needs a confidence-boosting season to come at Elland Road after having injury issues dominate his playing days of late, and might well find that he's even more devastating going forward dropping down a division with Chair next to him, having picked up four goals and two assists from only 24 games in Premier League action when fit and firing.

Bagging his own sensational screamer against Leeds in the FA Cup last year, both could make Leeds an even more stunning team to watch in attack, and would make Rutter moving on firmly a thing of the past.

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Ryan Harris keen for extended stint as bowling coach with Australia women's team

Ryan Harris is keen for a more permanent role with the Australia women’s team, having been brought on as a short-term bowling coach for the ongoing New Zealand tour.Harris admitted he was “a bit nervous” when he came into the squad but was very grateful with how the team has accepted him and was impressed by the bowlers he has worked with on the trip.There is a gap in the team’s schedule after this tour, which will include a period of leave, then a significant number of them will head to England for the Hundred before the possibility of an Australia-Australia A series in August heading into a home summer that is set to include tours by India, England and then the 2022 ODI World Cup back in New Zealand.”The easy answer is yes,” Harris said when asked if he would like to retain his role. “We’ll have to see what happens with that post this tour. By the sounds of it, there might be an opportunity, and it’s something I’ll be watching quite closely.”I was a little bit nervous coming in. I haven’t done a lot of work with the women’s teams before – done bits and pieces through my other job in Brisbane, but to get in here and see how they train, they are great to work with. [I have] Had some great discussions, not just with the bowlers but other players as well. They’ve been really good to me, accepting me, talking about my experiences which has been excellent.”Related

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The 17-player squad has given Harris plenty to work with, ranging from the experienced members such as Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry through to the youngsters in Darcie Brown and Hannah Darlington.Brown made her debut in the second T20I, pushing the speed gun above 120kph, and could have a chance to play in the final ODI if Tayla Vlaeminck is rested having had consecutive matches – although the forecast for Saturday is not overly promising.Australia’s pace bowling future: Darcie Brown, Hannah Darlington and Tayla Vlaeminck•Getty Images

“The sky’s the limit,” Harris said of Brown. “I look at her and the ease in the way she runs in, delivers the ball, her pace is really good for her age and still think there is room for improvement there which is the scary thing. When we talk about bowlers and how they approach the wicket, the basic skills and mechanics, she’s got it all. Makes me jealous actually because I had to work to bowl fast.”This tour has been Vlaeminck’s return to international cricket for the first time since before the T20 World Cup last year. She has had a limited workload in the two ODIs – six overs and five overs – but picked up her first wicket of the series when she had Lauren Down caught at slip on Wednesday.”Tayla, for example, is still learning. She’s so raw,” Harris said. “[She] Loves the game, just wants to bowl. If she could, she’d bowl 15-20 overs a day to bowl the perfect ball. I love that. I see a little bit of myself in her; [she] wants to get better at it, wants to bowl fast now and wants success now. That’s a great attitude to have.”While Darlington, who was selected with more of a T20 focus, has not been handed a debut on the tour, Harris said she had used every chance she could to soak up experience.”What I’ve found with Hannah is she just wants to learn about how can she be better, talking to her about different lengths to hit, who you are playing against. The knowledge about how you approach the changes you have to make for different opposition. For a young player she’s very mature and understands the game really well. She’s asked some really good questions.”

Imagine him & Carter-Vickers: Celtic lining up move for "incredible" gem

The summer transfer window officially slams shut in less than seven days and Celtic do not have much time left to get their remaining business over the line.

So far, the Hoops have brought in Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah on permanent deals, with the latter two having been on loan at Parkhead last term.

Brendan Rodgers is reportedly in the market to make further additions to his playing squad with the Scottish giants before the deadline passes next Friday, though.

The Northern Irish head coach is looking to bring in reinforcements for his defensive unit in Glasgow, with a Championship defender on the club's radar.

Celtic's interest in American titan

According to The Scottish Sun, Rodgers is lining up a late Celtic swoop to sign Sheffield United central defender Auston Trusty before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the USA international to bolster their defence, a year on from his £5m move to the Blades from Arsenal.

It states that Sheffield United are keen on a deal for Bhoys winger Mikey Johnston, who returned to Glasgow this summer after a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion, and that he could be used as part of a move for Trusty.

However, the outlet does not reveal whether it could be a straight swap or if one team would offer a player and some money in exchange to make a transfer happen, so it remains to be seen how viable it is at the moment.

If Celtic do manage to secure a swoop for the USA international before the end of the window, though, he could come in as an excellent partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Why Celtic should sign Auston Trusty

Firstly, signing another left-footed defender, who can play at centre-back or left-back, makes perfect sense when Liam Scales and Greg Taylor are the only two in the first-team squad.

Trusty could come in to provide both players with competition for their place in the team, particularly for Scales in the left centre-back position, as that is the American's natural role.

He is a naturally left-footed player and could complement Carter-Vickers, who is a right-footed defender and operates on the right side of the pairing, whilst they have already played alongside each other for USA U20s in the past.

Auston Trusty

22/23 Championship

23/24 Premier League

Appearances

44

32

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.8

2.6

Error led to shot or goal

0

3

Ground duel success rate

59%

55%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Trusty enjoyed far more success on loan with Birmingham in the Championship than he did as part of a Sheffield United team that picked up just 16 points in the Premier League last season.

The 26-year-old titan, who was hailed as "incredible" by former teammate George Friend, won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air without making a single error that led to a shot or goal in the second tier in England.

If he can recapture that form then he could be a reliable and dominant partner for Carter-Vickers, who won 68% of his duels in the Scottish Premiership last term,

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Trusty would then provide competition for Scales on the left side of the centre-back pairing and they would both offer a left-footed balance next to the former Spurs man.

Perfect signing for Dobbin: West Brom could secure a "terrific" new signing

West Bromwich Albion are now only a matter of days away from getting stuck back into Championship football, travelling down to Loftus Road to face off against Queens Park Rangers to start the new season.

Losing 4-1 to near neighbours Birmingham City in humiliating fashion wasn't the best way to bow out of their busy pre-season schedule, however, but Carlos Corberan will hope his troops will be sharp and focused on the task ahead now of picking up an opening day victory against Marti Cifuentes' hosts.

West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan.

Lewis Dobbin could be in the running for a first-team spot away in West London, after just signing on loan from Aston Villa, whilst the Spanish Baggies boss could greet another new signing who will battle for a spot in his side too.

Former Everton youngster on his way to West Brom?

As was revealed by journalist Sacha Tavolieri at the close of last month, West Brom have been keen on bringing in Standard Liege gem Isaac Price this summer, with new midfield recruits a major priority after the departures of Nathaniel Chalobah and Okay Yokuslu in recent weeks.

Everton midfielder Isaac Price.

Tavolieri has further stated recently, that despite the Belgian club's continued efforts to bat away bids for their star asset, that the Championship outfit will continue to go back in for him.

What Price can offer West Brom

The ex-Everton youth player would surely welcome a return to English shores after starring in the Jupiler Pro League, with the potential for a move to the Hawthorns to reunite with another former Toffees Academy product in the form of the aforementioned Dobbin no doubt appealing.

This could be the perfect capture for the new loanee, as he becomes more comfortable in his new surroundings in the Baggies camp with a familiar face now by his side, on top of Price offering West Brom more bodies centrally.

Price might well not arrive in the West Midlands as an immediate replacement for Yokuslu, however, with just 3.8 total duels won on average during the 2023/24 league season in Belgium from the 20-year-old.

Yet, when glancing at his adaptability and versatility for Liege and even further back when still on the books at Goodison Park, he will be more than a useful recruit if a deal finally gets over the line.

Price's positions played for Everton

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

CM

31

2

2

DM

19

2

3

AM

7

0

0

RM

1

0

0

CB

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, Price would shine all over the pitch for the Toffees when playing for the U21s, with one appearance in this youth structure even seeing him play in the heart of defence.

He will, however, be relied upon to play in the centre of the park for his potential new side, when you cast an eye over gaps in Corberan's camp, with Price potentially lining up next to Alex Mowatt to form a solid duo.

The 20-year-old ace, who was once described as a "terrific" talent by his former Everton youth coach in David Unsworth, will also offer his new side a bright presence going forward, as seen in the instinctive finish above that was scrambled home when he was on international duty with Northern Ireland.

Price could link up with Dobbin in attack, therefore, to roll back the years to their footballing education on Merseyside, whilst also offering a steady and composed head centrally to ensure the Baggies remain strong when teams are attempting to find holes in their game.

This could be a challenging campaign ahead for Corberan and Co, with a number of key first-teamers gone, but signings such as Price and Dobbin could dazzle as a duo regardless and signal a bright future is ahead for this new-look XI.

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Key date revealed in Arthur Okonkwo’s injury recovery at Wrexham – with Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney & Phil Parkinson waiting on important update after ‘mad’ goalkeeper problems

A key date has been revealed in Arthur Okonkwo’s injury recovery at Wrexham, with Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Phil Parkinson waiting on updates.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

First-choice shot-stopper nursing broken wristRed Dragons have used four keepers this seasonHoping for some positive news on the fitness frontFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

First-choice goalkeeper Okonkwo suffered a broken wrist when turning out for the Red Dragons against Mansfield on November 9. Callum Burton has also been laid low since then, leaving the ambitious League One outfit short on options between the sticks.

AdvertisementWHAT PARKINSON SAID

The hope is that Okonkwo may not be too far away from making a return to action, with Parkinson saying of what needs to happen before the 23-year-old is given a fitness green light: “Arthur's got an appointment with the specialist – I think it's on December 18 – to check whether the bone's healed properly or not. We'll keep our fingers crossed for that but he'll be back out on the training ground working on other aspects of his game, getting fit and ready so hopefully once he gets the all-clear from the specialist, he won't be too long.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Veteran shot-stopper Mark Howard is filling Wrexham’s No.1 berth at present, while Brad Foster has been signed on a short-term deal and kept a clean sheet in an EFL Trophy clash with Crewe. Parkinson added on having to use four different keepers this season: “It's been mad with the goalie situation. It's bad luck but when you have injuries, you can't let it bring you down because it happens in football and someone's misfortune is someone else's fortune.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham, who sit joint-top of the League One table as they look to chase down a third successive promotion and provide more drama for the documentary series put in place by their Hollywood co-owners, will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Paul Mullin’s former employers at Cambridge United.

Man Utd academy graduate: 3 realistic free agent signings for Birmingham

Birmingham City have already shown that money is no issue this summer, but with the free agent market still open after the transfer window closed, Football FanCast have looked into three possible free signings to further boost their squad after an impressive start to the campaign.

Birmingham see massive overhaul

Chris Davies and Birmingham are not messing around as they look to ensure instant promotion back to the Championship this season. After breaking the League One transfer record twice, they obliterated it on transfer deadline day to sign Jay Stansfield from Fulham in a deal worth £10m plus bonuses.

He was the last of 17 new faces at St Andrews over the summer, but that upheaval hasn't had a knock-on effect on their performances, with the Blues currently sitting third after four games with three wins and a draw, level on points with the two sides above them.

But despite their lavish spending, there are still a couple of holes in the squad that could do with plugging as they look to sustain their form across a gruelling 46 game season, and we have identified three potential cheap additions that could well make the difference.

Jack Cork

Burnley midfielder Jack Cork.

Birmingham already boast several midfielders in their squad, but the majority have much of their careers ahead of them, while there is a lack of experience in Davies' engine room.

That is an issue that Jack Cork would easily fix, with the now 35-year-old a free agent after being released by Burnley. Unlikely to be able to play twice a week all season given his age, the midfield man would bring plenty of experience at the top level, having represented the Clarets in both the Premier League and the Championship, totting up over 250 appearances for them in the process.

He drew high praise from Sean Dyche back during his time at Burnley, who revealed he thought Cork was a "very good player".

“I looked at him and thought, ‘Well if they don’t want him I certainly think he’s a very, very good player’. Corky wasn’t form related. I’ve always thought he was a very good player down many, many years", the now Everton boss explained.

Available for nothing, he could help guide Davies' young stars back into England's second tier.

Sheyi Ojo

Still just 27-years-old, Sheyi Ojo has not yet delivered on the talent promised during his time at Liverpool, and now finds himself without a club.

The right-winger was released by Cardiff City over the summer, but could be useful squad player for the Blues, with Scott Wright their only recognised right-winger as things stand.

Sheyi Ojo's Championship career

Appearances

145

Goals

12

Assists

14

Minutes per goal contribution

299

Ojo has made almost 150 Championship appearances during his career to date, alongside spells in Belgium and France, while he also spent a season playing Europa League football. Still in his prime, he could be a savvy pickup for a side in League One.

Brandon Williams

Former Norwich loanee Brandon Williams.

Perhaps something of a longshot, a move to sign former Manchester United academy star Brandon Williams would certainly be in line with Birmingham's recent audacious transfer policy, and could be a low-risk move with plenty of upside.

Comfortable playing at either left-back or right-back, the 24-year-old was released by the Red Devils this summer after failing to impress at either Ipswich Town or Norwich during loan spells.

During his time at Manchester United, he was highlighted for praise by manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, who dubbed him "brave as a lion".

"For me, Brandon was man of the match. He's been fantastic the few games he's played. The boy has no fear, he is as brave as a lion and he got us the win", he explained.

Now a free agent, a move to League One Birmingham could be the perfect place from which to relaunch his stalling career, though having played no lower than the Championship during his career to date it may be a difficult deal to complete.

West Brom struck gold on Hawthorns ace who is worth even more than Holgate

West Bromwich Albion are still unbeaten in the Championship during the early stages of the season, with three wins and one draw picked up from their opening four second-tier clashes.

Convincingly putting Queens Park Rangers to the sword on the opening day 3-1, the style of win that got Carlos Corberan's men over the line versus Swansea City last time out was a little more defensive in approach however, as a Jayson Molumby strike in first-half stoppage time secured a 1-0 victory.

Only shippingtwo goals across this unbeaten patch of fixtures, it's clear to see that Corberan's men excel when games turn into a backs-against-the-wall type of affair, with the Baggies only boosted at the back further by the surprise deadline day addition of Mason Holgate.

Holgate's transfer to West Brom

This will actually be Holgate's second time pulling on a West Brom strip, having starred at the Hawthorns on loan during the 2018/19 season in the Championship, which ended in the West Midlands side missing out on promotion via the play-offs.

Corberan and Co will hope the 6-foot defender coming back for another spell can see promotion happen this time around after finding his minutes had significantly dried up at Goodison Park under Sean Dyche of late, with only 16 minutes gifted to him for the Toffees this campaign during the disastrous opener versus Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 27-year-old is fondly remembered for playing his part in West Brom sealing a play-off spot, with a mightily impressive total of 7.6 duels won per match during that very season, as the former Baggies number 68 put his neck on the line time after time for his loan side.

With Cedric Kipre no longer at Corberan's disposal, Holgate will be able to offer the Championship promotion candidates another body unafraid to roll his sleeves up for the cause at the back, alongside the already imperious set of defenders at the Hawthorns in Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and more.

Still, although he has 137 Premier League appearances under his belt, Holgate's transfer value – as per Football Transfers – has taken a gigantic hit owing to his lesser ranking now in the Toffees pecking order, with the former England U21 international once worth a staggering £19m back in October of 2022.

Now, he's worth just £1.5m, as he aims to get back to his previous best moving down a division, next to established West Brom first-team face Darnell Furlong, who is actually worth more than the once exciting Toffees youngster.

Furlong's transfer value in 2024

The former Queens Park Rangers ace showed how pivotal he is to Corberan's men versus Luke Williams' Swans, with this last-ditch tackle denying what could have been a game-changing goal in favour of the Welsh visitors.

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The 28-year-old right-back's value stands at a hefty £2.3m as a result of his concrete spot in the West Brom first-team, with Furlong ever-present in his side's last 52 second-tier games on the trot.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

62

Accurate passes

31/34 (91%)

Key passes

2

Clearances

2

Interceptions

2

Tackles

1

Duels won

7/10

It's clear from his top-drawer display against Swansea why Corberan continues to pick Furlong week in week out, with a 91% pass accuracy managed and two key passes tallied up as a bright presence going forward, as much as he can also be dogged defensively.

Holgate can operate in a similar fashion too, with the reserve Everton figure capable of slotting in at full-back if needed, which could prove to be useful to the Baggies as the season progresses.

Darnell Furlong

Still, Furlong continues to prove his worth away from any new recruits joining, more than justifying the £1.5m spent on his services back in 2019, by now being worth nearly £1m more.

West Brom hit gold on Hawthorns ace who's now worth more than Thomas-Asante

West Bromwich Albion fans will hope this star can deliver week in week out this season.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 18, 2024

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